Youngesteverworldchampion...atthat
timeatleast.JoelRobertandhisCZ.Don’tyoujustloveexplodedenginedrawings?
TheseshowtheCZasJoelracedit.withfindingthe next gearthan the niceties
of asmoothchange,what waswantedwasa
robustand foolproof changingsystem.Even
better,asfar as amechanicwasconcerned,
the systemcouldbe inspected and repaired
withoutsplitting the engine.Whatwasused
wasalarge cam-track platewith asmall
connectingrod whichensuredthe gear
selection waspositiveand with no chanceof
goingpast the stopinto afalse neutral,no
matterhow big the bootsof the rider were.
Inspectionwas throughanaccessplateon
the top of the engine.
This drive to simplicity wasn’tonly
restrictedtothe engineunit but the cycle
parts too.Asteelframeof tubularloop
designwithastrongbut light swinging arm
usedafront forkconstructedfrom light
alloyslidersand steelstanchions with
plentyof travel. At the rear were oil damped
sealedunits.
Helpingthe bikeweigh in at auseful218lb
wasthe use of Elektronalloyfor the wheel
hubs–additionally loweringthe unsprung
weight too –and afuel tank and seat pan laid
up from glassfibre.It seemsthe factory had
experimented with alloysheet for the seat
pan but found it diffi cult to manufacture the
correct shapeeasilyso usedthe glassfibre
and were surprisedto see aweightsaving too.
In orderto stopmuck and dirtplaying
havoc withthe engineinternals as their
ridersblasted aroundthe scrambles courses
of the world, CZfittedtwo airfilte rs inside
the inductionchamber,thus ensuring
maximumprotection.
Alongwith the report,MotorCyclinghad
beensupplied withsome line drawings,
clearly showingthe championshipengineand
how it waslaid out. The writerexplainedthemain photohad the cylinderlaid out at the
front so as to showits relationshipwith the
rest of the engineand beggedthe readers’
forgivenessifitseemedmisleading.Butwithouttherider...
...a bike goes nowhere and in JoelRobertwas
someonewho wastaking theCZtothe top.
Not that ithad beenaforegoneconclusion,
as in an interviewwith the young Belgian
championMotorCyclinglearned prior to
gaining aworks CZ after acheekyrequest
to thefactory, Roberthad beencompletely
off-formand thanksto machine failureshad
done morewalking than riding.But, once
on the Czechoslovakianmachinehe was
on form again,and at 20 becametheyoungest ever world champion.
Roberts’ risetosuperstardomwas
particularly rapidand from the 14-year-old
who rode on privateland before comingof
age to compete,it only tooksix yearstobe
world champion.
Therewere thosewho doubtedthe
Belgian’stemperament and felt he wasmore
likely to fallfoul of the authorities looking
after scrambling in Belgium.Indeed,his
fatherhad donejust that and received alife-
time ban for an incident withofficials.Luckily,
youngJoelwas drafted into the Army for his
national service and the enforced discipline
of the militarytemperedhis zest and allowed
him to matureintoatop racer.
Robert’sroute to stardominvolved aYou
need...18
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